Pilots Get Approval To Use iPads Instead Of Paper Manuals In 'All Phases Of Flight'

American Airlines will be the first commercial airline to have its pilots use iPads in "all phases of flight", following approval from US aviation authorities. The tablets will replace 16kg of paper reference manuals and is expected to save money in more ways than one.

Based on current fuel prices, The Next Web estimates that the move to replace paper reference manuals with iPads will save the airline some $US1.2 million annually across. This month, American Airline's 777 fleet will be the first to get the technological upgrade. It's expected that all fleet types will eventually be approved for the switch, which means the paper-based manuals will cease revisions.

This is a huge environmentally friendly move for American Airlines: not only will the tablets save fuel since they weigh much less, but they will also save paper for every manual printed and revised across the company.

It would also seem to confirm what we've all long suspected: there is no real safety risk having a tablet turned on during take-off and landing. [TNW]